Princess Zelda
Zelda, the right high, right mighty Princess of Hyrule, Regent of the Realm, Protector of the People, Guardian of Wisdom and Lady of Light. Background Zelda wields the Triforce of Wisdom, one of three components of a mystic artifact bequeathed by the goddesses who formed the land of Hyrule. The Triforce of Courage rests in the person of Link, the hereditary Chosen Hero, and the Triforce of Power belongs to Ganondorf, the evil King of the Gerudo, who has many times sought to unite the fragments. As protector of Wisdom, Zelda is the disciple of the goddess Nayru, the giver of law. Zelda is the daughter of the King of Hyrule, and has ruled in his stead while he is recovering from a lengthy illness. Twenty years old, she has been Princess Regent of the country for almost a full three years. A few months before her arrival in Canyon Ridge, Hyrule was invaded by Zant, the usurper King of Twilight, and Zelda surrendered in exchange for the lives of her people. She was held prisoner in her own palace, from which she watched darkness slowly encroach onto the land of Hyrule, but the solitude was broken by periodic visits from an imp called Midna. Midna one day arrived on the back of a wolf, whose blue eyes and strange markings identified him as the transfigured Chosen Hero, Link. In service to the Princess, Link and Midna embarked on a lengthy quest to free the land from darkness. When Zant mortally wounded Midna, Link brought her to Zelda for help. Zelda transferred her own power to Midna, saving the imp's life but appearing to die herself in the process. Link and Midna later returned to the palace to confront Ganondorf, who they had discovered was the true source of Zant's power. Ganondorf possessed Zelda's lifeless body, forcing Link to do battle with the Princess he served, but ultimately he and Midna were able to drive the evil King out and restore her to herself. On Hyrule Field, Zelda aided Link in defeating Ganondorf once and for all. His death broke Zant's power forever, and the curse on their impish friend was lifted, revealing her true form and position as Princess of Twilight. By means of an object called the Mirror of Twilight, they were able to return her to her own realm, to rule once more. Zelda arrives in Canyon Ridge immediately after Midna's departure from Hyrule. Personality Being the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom, Zelda is -- as may be expected -- exceptionally wise for her age. The years of her regency have only increased both her capacity and her reputation for wisdom, good judgment, and patience. As the King's daughter, she has been raised to be kindly and extremely well-mannered; she can get along with just about anyone, regardless of station, and has a particular knack for putting people at ease. She is very introspective and thoughtful, excessively fond of reading and also of music, and devotes much of her leisure time to study; she speaks three different dialects of Hylian and can read two others, and also speaks and reads English. Inventory * One floor-length gown; the bodice is deep purple velvet, the ballroom-style skirt white satin embroidered with a harp pattern. * One royal coronet, resembling a sequence of gold leaves of graduated size, with pale blue jewels set in the front and back center. * One pair of knee-high brown boots. * One pair of elbow-length white gloves. * One set of gold pauldrons, the two pieces joined by a jeweled chain with a central image of the Hyrulean eagle. * One ornamental gold belt, with attached "apron" embroidered with various royal emblems of Hyrule. * One pair of gold and ruby earrings. * One long carved bow. * One quiver of arrows. Life in Canyon Ridge Upon her first arrival in the unfamiliar desert, Zelda encountered Solid Snake, who -- as unlikely a pair as they make -- became her first friend. They jointly took up residence in house #22, as he maintains that a Princess has no business living alone and she maintains that he would never bother to eat a meal if not sufficiently pestered. Threads with Snake: * First meeting * An evening at home * In which there are flowers A few days later, Zelda made the acquaintance of one of her neighbors, Margaery Tyrell, and the two young royals struck up a friendship. Threads with Margaery: * First meeting (with Snake) After the ponies appeared in Canyon Ridge, Zelda met Elizabeth Swann and they went riding together, hopefully the start of another good friendship. Threads with Elizabeth: * First meeting Zelda unexpectedly served as the welcoming committee for John Sheppard upon his arrival in the desert. Threads with John: *First meeting Zelda, Princess Zelda, Princess Zelda, Princess